I'm planning on going to Vietiane in Laos, but I wanted to cross over land from Cambodia. Are there direct bus connections from Siem Reap to Vientiane, and if so, how long does the journey take? I have heard conflicting reports - some say yes, some say there's no way around it but to double back to Phnom Penh and catch a bus from there to Vientiane, which doesn't make sense at all to me. Or, if not a direct bus from Siem Reap, then is it possible to get to Stung Treng checkpoint by local bus, then connect to Vientiane from there? (If not bus, boats / ferries are acceptable too.)

I have also heard that even though the official Lao immigration site says visa-on-arrival is available at land border checkpoints, they have stopped issuing them at Stung Treng and require visitors to get a visa beforehand. Is that true?

1 Answer
1

Recently while planning my trip to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, I did a little research: I am not sure about direct buses from Siem Reap. However, Stueng Traeng is about 5 hours. From there, you can get a mini bus connection to Pakse. This takes about another 5 hours. From Pakse it is an overnight sleeper to Vientiane. If you have time, it is advisable to stop over either at ST or take a slight detour to Kratie. Stay overnight here, and then get a bus to Pakse (an extra 2 hours).

Thanks. The last two don't help though, as I know PP Sorya has a direct bus from Phnom Penh, but nothing from Siem Reap. The Cambodia-Thailand-Laos leg wasn't possible for me as visa-on-arrival is not issued for Indian passport holders at Aranyaprathet/Poipet border.
–
Ankur Banerjee♦Jul 7 '11 at 23:10